Frequently asked questions
Questions about the books, the model, and working with Celeste
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by CRW Diversity
What do people ask most about Celeste Warren's books?
Most people ask what The Truth About Equity is about, where to buy it, and how to work with Celeste Warren directly.
Below are 46 answers grouped into 8 topics, written by CRW Diversity from Celeste Warren's own materials. Where a detail such as price or format is set by retailers, the answer says where to confirm it.
What the books are
- What is The Truth About Equity book about?
- The Truth About Equity is about the systems around people, not only the people themselves. Celeste Warren asks leaders to look past good intentions and examine how everyday policies, practices, systems, and decisions shape who gets access to opportunity. The book frames fairness as something leaders create through deliberate choices.
- Who wrote The Truth About Equity?
- Celeste Warren wrote The Truth About Equity. She spent 28 years at a Fortune 100 company, including 10 years leading global diversity and inclusion as Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Today she is the Founder of Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, a TEDx speaker, and an executive advisor.
- How many books has Celeste Warren written?
- Celeste Warren is the author of two books: The Truth About Equity and How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador. The first focuses on the organizational systems leaders control. The second focuses on the role every individual can play in building an inclusive culture.
- What is How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador about?
- It is a guide to the role every person can play in diversity and inclusion. Its subtitle is Everyone's Role in Helping All Feel Accepted, Engaged, and Valued. The book shows individuals how to use their own abilities to create a culture where everyone can feel engaged and empowered to add value.
- What is the central question of The Truth About Equity?
- The book's central question is: what if the problem isn't the people, but the systems surrounding them? That question shifts attention from asking individuals to change toward examining the policies, practices, access to opportunity, leadership decisions, and unwritten norms that shape workplace culture every day.
- Is The Truth About Equity practical or theoretical?
- It is written as a practical invitation for leaders. The book connects fairness to concrete things leaders already control: policies, practices, systems, and daily decisions. It reflects nearly four decades of Celeste Warren's work in human resources and organizational leadership rather than academic theory alone.
- Which Celeste Warren book should I read first?
- Senior leaders who shape policy and systems should usually start with The Truth About Equity, since it addresses the decisions they control. Readers who want to understand their personal role, at any level, should start with How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador. Many organizations will find value in both.
Buying, formats, and price
- Where can I buy The Truth About Equity?
- You can buy The Truth About Equity through its official book link at mybook.to/TruthAboutEquity. That link routes readers to available retail listings. Check the listing for current formats and availability in your country before ordering.
- Where can I buy How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador?
- How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador is available on Amazon. The direct listing is linked from the catalog page for the book on this site. Format options, delivery times, and current price are shown on the retailer page.
- How much does The Truth About Equity cost?
- Prices are set by retailers and are not listed on this site. Book prices change by format, retailer, and country, so the official book link at mybook.to/TruthAboutEquity is the most reliable place to see the current price before buying.
- Is The Truth About Equity available in hardcover, paperback, or ebook?
- Available formats are shown on the retail listing reached through the official book link. This catalog does not list formats because they can vary by retailer and region. Open the buy link to see which editions are currently offered where you live.
- Can my organization order books in bulk for a leadership team?
- For bulk or team orders, the best step is to contact Celeste Warren directly through the contact form on crwdiversity.com. Many organizations pair a shared read with a workshop or executive briefing, and a direct inquiry lets you discuss both at once.
- Is there a free resource connected to the books?
- Yes. Celeste Warren offers a free guide called 6 Practical Ways to Lead More Fairly, Intentionally and Effectively. It introduces the Equity in Action Model with key insights, reflection questions, and simple next steps for each of the six elements. It is available on crwdiversity.com.
How the Equity in Action Model works
- What is the Equity in Action Model?
- The Equity in Action Model is Celeste Warren's practical framework for moving from good intentions to everyday leadership practice. It helps leaders examine how their decisions, behaviors, and organizational systems shape the experiences and opportunities of the people they lead, using six elements.
- What are the six elements of the Equity in Action Model?
- The six elements are Awareness, Access, Advocacy, Action, Accountability, and Empowerment. Together they move a leader from understanding how assumptions shape decisions, through examining who has access and using influence, to turning intentions into decisions, watching outcomes, and creating conditions for people to contribute and grow.
- What do Awareness and Access mean in the model?
- Awareness means understanding how assumptions, experiences, and organizational patterns influence decisions. Access means examining who has access to information, opportunities, relationships, and resources. Together they help leaders see where their systems may be helping some people succeed while getting in the way of others.
- What do Advocacy and Action mean in the model?
- Advocacy means using your influence to ensure talent, ideas, and perspectives aren't overlooked. Action means turning awareness and good intentions into deliberate leadership decisions. These two elements are where a leader's understanding becomes visible behavior that others can observe.
- What do Accountability and Empowerment mean in the model?
- Accountability means looking beyond intentions and paying attention to outcomes. Empowerment means creating the conditions for people to contribute, grow, and use their voices. These elements keep the work grounded in results and in the everyday experience of the people being led.
- Is there a course on the Equity in Action Model for managers?
- Yes. Equity in Action for Managers is a short, practical learning experience built as mini-modules for busy leaders. It helps managers recognize where equity shows up in day-to-day leadership and gives them tools they can put into practice immediately. It is linked from the Equity in Action page.
- How does the Equity in Action Model relate to The Truth About Equity?
- Both share the same idea: equity becomes real through the decisions leaders make every day. The book makes the case for examining systems. The model gives leaders a structured way to apply that thinking through six elements. Celeste Warren's approach combines her experience with the Equity in Action Model.
Who the books and services are for
- Is The Truth About Equity a good book for senior executives?
- Yes. The book speaks directly to leaders who set policies, shape systems, and make decisions that affect access to opportunity. That is the territory senior executives own. Celeste Warren writes from experience inside the C-suite of a Fortune 100 company, where she served as Vice President.
- Are the books useful for HR and people leaders?
- Yes. Celeste Warren spent nearly four decades in human resources and organizational leadership, and both books address the policies, practices, and culture HR leaders help shape. The Truth About Equity is especially relevant to anyone designing or reviewing talent systems.
- Can individual employees benefit from these books?
- Yes, especially How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador. That book was written because many individuals feel they don't have a role to play in diversity and inclusion. It shows how every person can use their abilities to help create the culture they want to see.
- Can a leadership team read The Truth About Equity together?
- Yes. A shared read gives a leadership team common language for examining its own systems. Teams that want to go further can pair the book with the free Equity in Action guide, the Equity in Action for Managers mini-modules, or a facilitated executive briefing with Celeste Warren.
- Does Celeste Warren speak to universities and student audiences?
- Yes. Devon Proudfoot, Assistant Professor of Human Resource Studies at Cornell University's ILR School, called her one of the most impactful speakers to visit the class. Will Moss, CEO of HBCU CONNECT, recommended her to schools, universities, and organizations.
Compared to alternatives
- Should I read the book or hire Celeste Warren for executive advisory?
- Read the book to understand the thinking. Choose executive advisory when you face a specific, complex leadership, culture, or talent challenge and want a confidential thought partner. Many executives start with the book to judge fit, then reach out for advisory or a briefing.
- What do DEI consulting firms do?
- DEI consulting firms generally help organizations assess culture, review policies and talent practices, train leaders, and plan change. Celeste Warren's practice focuses on executive advisory, leadership and organizational development workshops, and speaking and executive briefings, grounded in the Equity in Action Model.
- How do I choose among the best DEI consulting firms?
- Compare firms on the same criteria: real operating experience inside large organizations, a clear framework, practical tools leaders can use, and published work you can read before hiring. For Celeste Warren, you can review 28 years of Fortune 100 experience, two books, a TEDx talk, and the Equity in Action Model.
- What does a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant do?
- A diversity, equity and inclusion consultant helps leaders examine how people experience the organization and what shapes those experiences. Celeste Warren focuses on both sides of the equation: how people lead and how organizations operate, including policies, practices, access to opportunity, and unwritten norms.
- What is organizational culture consulting?
- Organizational culture consulting helps leaders understand and change the norms, systems, and decisions that shape daily work. In Celeste Warren’s approach, culture is shaped by policies, practices, access to opportunity, leadership decisions, and unwritten norms, so lasting change means examining those systems, not only individual behavior.
- What is inclusive leadership training?
- Inclusive leadership training builds the habits leaders need to make fair decisions and draw on every perspective. Celeste Warren offers practical workshops and learning experiences that help leaders strengthen their effectiveness, improve workplace culture, and put fair and inclusive leadership practices into action.
- What should I look for in corporate leadership development programs?
- Look for programs that are practical, tied to real decisions leaders make, and based on deep operating experience. Celeste Warren designs leadership and organizational development workshops around where your organization is, what it is trying to accomplish, and what may be standing in the way.
Working with Celeste Warren
- What services does Celeste Warren offer?
- Celeste Warren offers three services: executive advisory, a confidential thought partnership for executives; leadership and organizational development workshops and learning experiences; and speaking and executive briefings, including keynotes and facilitated conversations. She works with leaders and organizations navigating leadership, culture, talent, and organizational challenges.
- What is executive advisory with Celeste Warren?
- Executive advisory is a confidential thought partnership for executives navigating complex leadership, culture, talent, and organizational challenges. It draws on her nearly three decades inside a Fortune 100 company, including a decade as Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.
- How much does executive advisory or a keynote cost?
- No prices are published for executive advisory, workshops, or speaking. Each engagement begins by understanding where your organization is and what you are trying to accomplish, so scope varies. Use the contact form on crwdiversity.com to describe your needs and request details.
- How do I start working with Celeste Warren?
- Start by filling out the contact form on crwdiversity.com with a short description of your organization, your goals, and the type of support you want: advisory, a workshop, or a talk. Her work begins by understanding where you are and what may be standing in the way.
- What does Celeste Warren speak about?
- Her keynotes, executive briefings, and facilitated conversations challenge audiences to think differently about leadership, culture, systems, and the decisions that shape people’s experiences at work. Her TEDx talk, The Cost of Standing Still, explores how systems either enable progress or quietly restrict it.
- What is the Celeste Warren TEDx talk about?
- The TEDx talk is titled The Cost of Standing Still. It asks what happens when talented people are ready to move forward but the systems around them are not. It encourages leaders to ask not only what people need to do differently, but what needs to change around them.
Media, press, and practical details
- Where can I download Celeste Warren’s official bio?
- Her official bio, titled Meet Celeste, is available as a PDF document. The link is on the Media Kit page of this site. Event organizers, journalists, and procurement teams can use it to introduce her or verify her background.
- Has Celeste Warren been covered in the press?
- Yes. USA News published a feature on The Truth About Equity and Celeste Warren’s mission to redefine fairness in the workplace, and Vista Today covered Celeste Warren Consulting in July 2025. Both articles are linked on the Media Kit page.
- Who has endorsed Celeste Warren’s work?
- Endorsements include Kenneth Frazier, Former Executive Chairman of Merck & Co., Inc.; Leila McKenzie-Delis, Founder and CEO of DIAL Global; Devon Proudfoot of Cornell University’s ILR School; and Will Moss, CEO of HBCU CONNECT. Their exact words appear on the Media Kit page.
- How do I send a press or speaking inquiry?
- Send press and speaking inquiries through the contact form on crwdiversity.com. Include your outlet or event, the date, the audience, and the topic you have in mind. The official bio is available in advance so you can prepare an introduction.
Problems and getting help
- What if a buy link does not work in my country?
- Retail availability differs by region. If the official book link does not show a listing where you live, search your preferred bookseller for the book title and Celeste Warren’s name, or contact her office through crwdiversity.com for help locating a copy.
- Is this site independent of Celeste Warren?
- No. This site is published by CRW Diversity, Celeste Warren’s business. It is a catalog of her books, resources, and media materials. Every fact on it comes from her own materials or the linked public sources, as explained on the methodology page.
- What if my organization is not ready to hire a consultant yet?
- Begin with the reading. The Truth About Equity, the free Equity in Action guide, and the Equity Leadership Brief cost little or nothing and help leaders build shared language first. When a specific challenge emerges, the contact form on crwdiversity.com is the next step.
Have a question that is not answered here?
Send it to Celeste Warren through the contact form on crwdiversity.com.